Your favorite Paris neighborhoods - which ones and why?

My favorite neighborhood is Ile St. Louis (little island east of Notre Dame) and Ile de la Cite (where Notre Dame is). I love the ambiance of both, surrounded by the Seine river and the amazing views. Ile St.Louis is like a small village and is very charming.

My first suggestion is to take the St. Martin Canal cruise, the one that leaves from near the Musee d'Orsay (reservations required) and finishes near Parc La Villete . After exploring that, take a short walk to the east to Parc Buttes Chamont. Another suggestion is to walk the Promenade Plantee, which starts near Avenue Daumesnil and Rue de Lyon in the Gare de Lyon area. At that point it is atop the Viaduc des Artes which you might want to explore first. The Promenade will take you to Jardin de Reuilly. Maybe even take some time to explore Gare de Lyon and people watch. That reminds me, to the west and just across the Seine from GdL is Jardin des Plantes, a botanical garden and zoo.

Forgot to say, my favorite park is the Luxembourg Gardens. It's a really beautiful place, great for walking, sitting in comfy chairs and relaxing, they have music on weekends, two cafes, bathrooms, it's fun to watch the group of friends playing boules (bocce ball) over by the children's playground, and it's a great opportunity to be around Parisians interacting with each other, relaxing and enjoying themselves.

I love Place de Vosges, and the Marais, lots of fun little streets. Take a compass and a good map to help you find your way.

I too like the Marais and Montmartre, but I would also recommend a few off the beaten path areas, like the area of Belleville near Parc de Belleville, which is hilly like Montmartre but with very few (any?) tourists. The view from the top of Parc de Belleville is fantastic; if you do visit, the Michelin Green Guide has some good tips for exploring this area. Another great park that I'm not sure whether or not Rick Steves mentions is the Buttes de Chaumont. It's a former quarry with lots of hills, a man-made waterfall, and a gazebo-capped hill from which you can see the Basilica St. Denis in the distance. Just east of Buttes Chaumont (closest metro is Botzaris) is a lovely area with several streets of modest but charming stand alone houses and gardens. Rue de Mouzaia cuts through many of the side streets where you'll find these homes. Another lesser-visited neighborhood I've enjoyed is Passy, where you can find lots of gorgeous examples of art nouveau architecture and design. It's less 'charming' than the Mouzaia area, but really, really impressive.

We loved the Marais district, and the Latin Quarter but, it's always sooo crowded. Found a great website called Tom's Guide to Paris...check it out. Have a great trip!

Kay:
My wife and I recently returned from a visit that included 6 days in and around Paris. We thought the Jardin du Luxembourg and Jardin des Tuileries were marvelous. The area of St.-Germain-des-Pres is a good counter-point to the nearby Jardin du Luxembourg. We visited Montmartre on a weekday in late April, and it was very, very crowded in the vicinity of Basilique du Sacre-Coeur, I can't image what it would be like later in the summer. If you visit Montmartre, take the Funicular up, and then walk down on a meandering course to Boulevard de Clichy. The Cimetiere de Montmartre is a fascinating place, reserve some time to wander through. I suggest you don't try to see every place listed in RS books, pick a few and spend time there, save the others for another visit.